


What the Living Don’t Know

by shyeehaw



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-20 21:37:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17630108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyeehaw/pseuds/shyeehaw
Summary: John meets his fallen friends in afterlife.





	1. Chapter 1

“Keep riding, and don’t look back.”,said John repeating the same words that left Arthur’s lips years ago. “Don’t be worrying about me, you hear?”. His son’s face was too painful to look at, guilt taking over him for not being able to avoid forcing Jack to become a man.  
“You stay out of trouble, John.”, said his wife, worry distorting her voice.   
“Ain’t no trouble, Abigail.” he said, leaning for what he knew it was their last kiss. “Ain’t no trouble.”  
Those were their final moments together and John was aware of it. With her “I love you” still stuck in his head, John watched as his family fled, like many times they did together. It was time to let them go. His own brave feet taking him to meet his faith, in John’s mind there wasn’t no fear for his death. Only concern about Jack and Abigail.  
Pushing the barn door slightly, John’s eyes met those who would take his life. He took a deep breath, settling for what was about to happen. Leaving the false safety of the barn, his tired hands made their way to his holster, the familiar movement coming effortlessly. John took as many as he could with him, not going down without fighting. He lived the outlaw life and would leave it as such.   
As the shower of bullets met his flesh, John felt an indescribable pain going through his system. Until it stopped hurting. With a cough, he fell to his knees, adrenaline being the only thing keeping him from death.   
His breath was shallow, sounding more like an animal than a man. Never knowing the look of contempt in the face of the agents, Marston kept his gaze in front of him, refusing that their faces would be the last image he seen. Instead, he looked at the soil of his farm, knowing that this life was his life best part. He left a part of him in this world. John lost his consciousness, just like he did when falling asleep. At last… nothing.  
There was no pain, and that was the first thing he noticed. With his eyes still closed, he could her a hearty laughter from a far. The breeze was warm and it rustled the grass around John. And then, he felt a light kick in his ribs. “Ya dead?”. That voice... Sean Macguire!  
By opening his eyes, John saw Sean smiling from ear to ear, his unharmed face getting closer as he squatted beside him. “John Marston! ya bastard! I knew you wasn't’ that bad!”.  
“Why the hell is you kicking me?” he just woke up and was already annoyed, “Is this heaven?”, John looked around.  
“Nah, not really. At least I don’t think heaven would allow bear, ya know?”, laughed Sean, “And I’m kicking ya to see if you open yer eyes, I don’t know what you’ve been up to down there, maybe ya wouldn’t.”  
“Hold on, that doesn’t make any sense.”  
“Old Micah Bell showed up here, Hosea wanted to kick his arse back to hell, but funny thing is, he never opened his eyes…” Sean said, shrugging, “Oh boy, let me tell ya, we never partied as hard as when we saw that oily turd decomposing, even Molly was still here but she left to look for her fam-”  
“Is Hosea here?” John asked, getting up.   
“Yeah! But I’m not sure where he is, this place is big!” Sean said, “Give me a hug wont ya? I’ve missed you, Scarface.”  
John couldn’t be bothered by the stupid nickname, he was annoyed but also glad to see the boy in one piece. As he awkwardly embraced Sean, John heard the one who died that morning.   
“Fuck, John!” Uncle said, “I… I can’t believe they got you too.”  
John squeezed the old man’s shoulder.  
“I’m sorry Uncle, for not being able to stop them before you…”  
“It’s not your fault son, I’m old anyway, at least here my back don’t hurt and…”  
“No lumbago, I reckon?”  
Uncle laughed and nodded, “That was fake John, I’m not sure if you knew, but I’m not about to get kicked from here because of ma lies.”  
The old man was a lost cause. Following an almost bouncy Sean, John looked around the sunny glade. The much missed camp raising in front of him. It was so many years ago, but everything was just like he remembered. When he heard Hosea’s voice, it was like only now he could measure how much he missed the man.  
“John? My dear, is that you?” Hosea hugged him tight, unbelievably moved to have his son back, but now looking disapproving, his brows furrowed “I expected you to join us later, my boy.”  
Placing his hands on John’s back, Hosea guided him towards the others.  
“Is that John?” Lenny asked, getting up to his feet and walking towards him, “Ms. Grimshaw! John is here!”  
Lenny looked as young as ever, what made John recall how much of a boy he was when he got killed. The smile on his face hid how sorry he was that Lenny didn’t get to experience much on his life.  
“John Marston, don’t you think you are looking a bit too young to be here?”, said Ms. Grimshaw, her serious expression turning soft as she hugged him. She seemed not a day older. Their faces lighting up to the sight of their old friend.  
As he walked around camp, a wet nose poked his leg. It was Cain’s. The dog his son loved dearly.  
“So that’s where you went! You’re a good boy, Cain”, he said while petting the cheerful dog.  
John had rarely felt this emotional, he couldn’t avoid the thought that it was an unexpected blessing and he might not be deserving of it. The lives he took, the things he’s done were not fitting to heaven, but he was happy nonetheless.   
“I believe that hat is mine.”, an familiar voice said. The voice that only appeared in his feverish dreams, the same one that kept him going all these years. John never forgot the sound of it.   
Mounted on his departed horse, Arthur smiled at him. Beside him was Kieran, the afterlife w sure was full of surprises.   
“Now you is just going to stare at me or help me with this fish?”, asked Arthur, although his voice gave away how touched he was.   
Shaking his head to snap back from the haze he was found in, John walked towards Arthur.  
“It’s good to see you mister.”, said Kieran, sheepishly, taking the humongous fish out of Arthur’s horse.  
“You too, Kieran. I’m glad you are okay.”, said John, looking the man in his well placed eyes. The haunting memory of Kieran’s face being replaced by this new smiley one.  
As he walked carrying their dinner, Arthur and John were left alone.   
“I’ll go ahead and say I didn’t wanted to see you so soon, John”, said Arthur.  
“Why everyone keeps saying that?”  
“But I’ve missed you, brother.”, Arthur stepped forward, bringing his arms around John, he wanted to do this for a long time.  
“We are redeemed now, John. We are both free, brother.”

When the puzzling sun of that beautiful place setted, John once again, joined his friends around the fire. It was like going home after travelling for so long. It felt right. Their glasses were as full as their hearts; Songs, laughter, their smiles, all those things John judged lost were there. As one tear trailed down his cheek, John discovered it was possible to cry in that place. It was almost noon and Abigail wasn’t there. They’ve made it.


	2. Reaction of gang members to Arthur showing up there

Reunited around the campfire, the deceased members of the Van der Linde gang would hear footsteps coming from the woods. Knowing what that meant they shared a worried look. Who was it this time? “What the hell is this place?”, Arthur said. As folk recognized his voice, it was almost tangible the sadness forming in them.

 **Sean** : Would be the first to greet him. “Englishman! Tell me, you putted up a fight, didn’t ya?”, he would hug a reluctant Arthur, “Boy, am I sad you ended up here.” After soaking in for a moment what that meant, he proposed a homecoming party, just like they threw for him.

 **Kieran** : Would approach Arthur after all the others had already greeted him. “I’m sorry mister…”, he would say, empathetic “did it hurt? Was it scary?”. The man was still a bit traumatized by his own cruel death, and didn’t wanted to learn that Arthur had the same fate. He would try to show the good side of that place, in the hopes that Arthur would warm up to him.

 **Hosea** : Teary eyed from being reunited with his ‘son’, Hosea would feel bad for things turning out like this. Once he learned what Micah and Dutch did, Hosea was silent for a long time. “He was lost Arthur, there was a time when he really loved you, and I hope in his end he gets to see that…”, Hosea would squeeze his shoulder with affection, “because he ain’t coming here.”

 **Lenny** : Used to the new place, Lenny didn’t saw Arthur’s death as something sad, and tried to make him see that as well. Sure, Arthur would miss some people that were left behind, but Lenny was glad to be with his drinking buddy again. “Arthur! I’ve missed you!”. Seeing the boy’s smile left Arthur with a bittersweet feeling. They would spend a lot of time together, and Lenny was glad that the days now included Arthur’s company.

 **Molly** : From the top of what it looked like many suitcases, she would smile at him. On the contrary of the many times Molly told she would only smile when she got reason to. She always saw him as good man. “Hello, there Arthur.”, she would greet him, “What happened to you?”. After learning who played a role in his death, Molly would pack up and move, leaving behind that part of her life she wanted to forget.

 **Ms. Grimshaw** : “Mr. Morgan!”, Ms. Grimshaw voice got emotional as she walked towards his hug, “You moron! What are you doing here?”, she would give him a slap in the head. It would break Susan’s heart to see him there, she had faith Arthur would be able to escape, had a few more years. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she was glad to see him.


	3. Arthur waiting for his S/O in heaven

As your consciousness slipped away, you had no fear. Only hope. You prayed to God that you sinned enough to join him, and if not, that He didn’t take Arthur’s deeds against him.

Your organs shutting down one by one, reminded you how lonely death can be. You can live surrounded by those you love, but in the end, we go as we came, alone. Refusing to believe that this would be it, your mind kept seeking happy memories, those that make you think: ‘it was all worth it’, but all of them had Arthur in it. That was a new kind of parting ways, you had to bare the thought of maybe loosing him yet again.

With closed eyes, time passed and passed again, you were trapped in a slumber impossible to wake from. You felt nothing, and everything at the same time. And then a void.

Your name left Arthur’s lips like some kind of feverish dream, but no dream includes sensations so strong that the hairs on your body bristle. This had to be real.

“My God! It really is you…”, he said lifting your body up with his embrace, “You are here!”

His voice had the biggest joy in it, until he repeated those words again, “You… are here.”, this time understanding what it meant.

“Arthur! I…”, your voice failed you from the emotion, “I knew we would meet each other again.”

His body and soul in front of you, once again, like you wished for so many times. He was here when you laid on his grave and cried, he was just waiting for you when you had lost all hope of ever seeing him again. As you absorbed all those things you were just now learning, tears filled your eyes.

“C’me here, dear.”, Arthur held you close, his finger catching a tear before it could stain your cheek, “There’s nothing to cry about, time is ours now! We are free, my love.”

As he comforted you, Arthur couldn’t get his mind off how unfair the world was that you got there so soon. It was a double edged sword, as much as he wanted you to be with him, he wished nothing more than to see you experiencing all that the world had to offer.

“I’m just so relieved to see you Arthur… you don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

“So did I. Listen, I’m not a good man, but if some God or being, whatever, placed us both here I won’t ask why.”

It wasn’t heaven or hell, looking deep in his eyes you had the certainty that it didn’t matter what it was, as long as you two were together.

“But you are, Arthur! there’s no fooling destiny! The things we have done… are in the past now” you held his hand tight, trying to keep him tied to this moment, “There’s no more money, no guns, no right or wrong, just… us.”

“I love you, Y/N. there’s no point regretting now, but I’ve never said that to you… and I wish I did.”

“There was no need. I knew, as I hoped you knew too.”

As an answer, as an reencounter, Arthur brought his face close to yours, his mind relishing in every single detail that time had erased, it was a ethereal kiss you shared.

“You know, I was wrong.”, you said,

catching your breath.

“About what?”

“Death is not lonely, I would follow you anywhere.”

**Author's Note:**

> I opted living Dutch, Bill and Javier out of it because it would ruin the fluffiness with “you killed me, puto!”, but all rdr2 dead characters are mentioned in this cute reunion. ^^


End file.
